Did you guys watch the Kona Ironman Championship on Saturday? That was the most exciting ironman that I have ever seen. I was on the edge of my seat. You see, I am a big Macca fan. I tend to really like the LOUD spoken athletes. These guys that talk a big game and deliver (I am a Contador fan also – but we can leave that discussion for another day). Don’t get me wrong – Crowie is a great athlete and he really lets the results speak for themselves. But I think it is the people like Macca that make it interesting. Oh, he talks a game. But I love it.
I knew as the runners were sorting themselves out that people would start to blow up. It was a nail biter of a race this year. There was no forgone conclusion of who was going to win.
When Andreas Raelert pulled up next to Macca I thought the race was over. I know, even from my little racing corner, that you have to pass with authority. You cannot let them think that they have a chance – they will come with you if you let them. It was amazing to watch these guys run stride for stride with each other. Keep in mind that they had already competed for 137 or so miles.
The mental toughness of both competitors was so impressive. All the training, all of the sacrifice and it still comes down to who can tough it out. Man, it makes you want to go - there is just that little hurdle of qualifing.
This ironman stuff really is just a mental game.
We watched the entire race. It was AMAZING, first time I have watched start to finish for the pros!
ReplyDeleteI will say, when he caught up and they ran together, I knew he was not mentally ready to win Kona. Raelert should have ran past him and mentally shut Macca down. Since Raelert did not pull the trigger when he had the chance I could tell he was just hanging on.
Macca raced an amazing race at the end, you could tell who was the "experienced" athlete with that finisher move. At the water stop he took off.
Great race. Best I have watched to date.
great race and great post!
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how much of this is mental. I honestly think anybody can compete so long as they are mentally tough to put one foot in front of the other.
ReplyDeleteAnd when you pass you must know you can do it and create separation, otherwise you let them hang around and their confidence builds even more.
I find that the most crushing blow is passing on a hill, whether it be on the bike or on the run. You pass somebody on a hill and create a little separation and you are most likely not going to see that person again. It has been done to me and it really puts a dagger in your confidence.
I was never a Macca fan, but now that I've been to Australia, well, I like him a bit! It was a great race and you summed it up nicely.
ReplyDeleteI had the race streaming from my computer to the flat screen TV all day. I couldn't get enough of it. When I think of the mental toughness, I think of the guy who is a triple amputee and completed the race in 15 hours or the guy who is battling stage four cancer and was on the race course after completing chemo just a month ago. They all have mental toughness of course, but those two stand out for me.
ReplyDeletei didn't catch the pro finish but i enjoyed watching it before/after that! almost makes me want to do one... almost :)
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